Issues of International Distance Learning: Lesson Learned From The Experience Of Osaka University

• Autores: Matsugu Tsuji
• Localización: International journal of the computer, the internet and management, ISSN 0858-7027, Vol. 12, Nº. 2 (AGO), 2004 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Suplemento: Proceedings of the International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society), págs. 201-208
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper presents an international distance learning project currently being conducted between Japan and Thailand, which is named as “HIT Project on Distance Learning from Osaka University to SIIT, Thammasat University”. Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) and the Cybermedia Center, Osaka University, broadcasted two series of 12 televised lectures to the Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thamassat University, Thailand from June 27 to October 3, 2002, and from June 19 to September 18, 2003, via KDD's international ISDN (128kbps). Two educational institutions transmit voice and moving video signals together with interactivity on a real time basis by using ViewStation SP manufactured by Polycom. A course titled “IT (Information technology) and Its Application” in two series of twelve sessions has been offered, which covers the applications of information technology in engineering and social sciences. Each session lasts ninety minutes. Thirty-one in 2002 and sixty in 2003 junior and senior SIIT students majoring in electronic engineering participated in the lecture series, and two courses were counted as regular units in SIIT. This project is not experiment, but actual implementation. The goal of this project is two-fold: to introduce the start-of-the-art research and development in Japanese information technology; and to promote the IT development in Thailand, especially in the education of specialists in communication and broadcast. By examining this project as a case study, we analyze the issues of international distance learning and attempt to formulate effective methods of international distance learning from the viewpoints of technology and teaching. Regarding the former, the Internet becomes a popular method for international distance learning. But, when making a comparison of ISDN with the Internet, we find that the superiority of either depends upon the existing infrastructure and service charges of transmitting and receiving countries. Among developed countries, the Internet is considered a much better technology in terms of not only charges, but also speed. But, when one side of the partner is a developing country, the situation can be entirely different. The slow speed and narrowband of the Internet did not suit distance learning, since problems such as stoppage of motion pictures oftentimes occur. ISDN, on the other hand, secures transmission, despite the slow speed and narrowband. In this paper, we present how issues related to slow speed of ISDN are solved by the construction of the system configuration and the method of teaching.